Oleg Violin: “Music, politics and the Church – the competitors for the souls of men”

Oleg Violin: “Music, politics and the Church – the competitors for the souls of men”

06.09.2016

A team of energetic and cheerful Oleg Violin – one of the most unusual in the post-Soviet rock scene – alas, for several years, arrives in Russia since then, as a socio-political relations with Ukraine escalated, and in the past the common cultural space cracked like a porcelain Cup. Nevertheless, the Russian fans do not forget “Vopl Deplasa”. Many of them went for Pets at the Kubana festival, held in Riga in mid-August. “MK” followed suit, and the actor with pleasure has met with edition, sharing not only creative aspirations, but also thoughts about what is happening between the two States, who have always been brotherly, what role all play music, different generation seven, from thirty years and be born in the future new rock heroes.

Photo courtesy of the press service of the group

– Oleg, the last time we met three years ago at the Womad festival in Pyatigorsk. What news came from the group during this time?

– At Kubana we made the tour in honor of the thirtieth anniversary of “BB”. It so happened that the first we went to concerts abroad – in Belarus, America, Canada, and now came to Latvia and then we’ll go to Ukraine. To this creative journey, we began to prepare immediately after released the album “Codovi Svit” (“Wonderful world” – approx. N. M.). It turns out that sometimes we get ahead of time. In 2002 we came out pretty hard, apocalyptic mood of the album, “fajno”. I recently realized that in his songs describes the events that are happening now in Ukraine and in the world… This fatal prediction, which was made more than ten years ago. Album Codovi Svit” – on the contrary, very kind, positive, it is a bright post-hippie. I very much hope that she too will become prophetic, and shows the positive things that will come when we will all survive what is happening now.

– Assessing the current situation in Ukraine, in Russia, in the world, how to behave musicians, often against their will become involved in political controversy?

Musicians now need to be especially smart, wise, careful not to lose the feeling of the rod, to have their position. You need to understand what previously worked, now does not work. Today, it is important to adhere to internal principles, but to look two steps ahead to realize that people expect from you, what they think about you, and to make a choice. The situation is that you currently can’t be kind and good to all.

– We only. The road to the festival in Riga was long: we took part in Lviv, was driving to Warsaw, for a very long time stood at customs and only from Poland and flew out here. Imagine my surprise when in the morning at the hotel we were greeted by Moscow fans, who came by bus to Latvia, to hear us and communicate. They had printed photo, “BB”, I gave them autographs, and of course, I was very pleased that we have such loyal listeners. Although we spoke at the beginning, opened the festival day, and the weather was not very good, we saw that many came to see us.

– There is an opinion that today the influence of music has shrunk. What do you think?

The story line moves along the sine wave. There are times of creative and meaningful rises in music, there’s the downs. We are now in the second phase, as it happened, in my opinion, and in the 1980s. I have always believed that music, politics and the Church – the competitors for the souls of men. Those who are more or less honest – not for me to judge, but the fact remains, this topic came up repeatedly in literature and in film. Musician, artist makes an important choice: whether to be a person, playing on the thin strings of the soul, or a clown, clown that for the money the politicians and all the mighty of this world dancing to someone else’s tune like a marionette. This question has always been relevant. Remember the era of the rise of rock-and-roll, when a rock-idols. They were envied by many, listened to them, including policies then focused on the musicians. And today they are all over the world try to use them, especially in our countries, Ukraine and Russia who are far from democracy. Musicians manipulated. In addition, today we live in a new information society, which has its own hard and often dangerous laws. Now is the Third world, and it passes on the information front. Worldwide physically killed a lot of people, but dying for more minds. Famous people, actors, musicians are falling victim in the first echelon. One word you say can destroy you. So even when I went to interview with you, I understood the great danger, as could be interpreted my words and you in Russia and in Ukraine.

– Despite all that, judging by your performance, you keep cheerful…

– And how differently? You see, even climbed on the bar on stage (laughs). I would rise above, just rod was very slippery because of the rain, and it was really scary. And I’ve still got to hold the microphone, singing… I hit the floor and see what’s waiting for us, want to listen to, I feel that we’re in good musical form. All together a very “rocking”. No fun in the world compares with this feeling. This is a great happiness, and you understand that you fulfill your destiny, you were born for this. We are already playing for many years, constantly refining the program, write the songs that people listen with interest. Here it works, and it permeates us and the audience energy. I think this energy clears any channels. I’m having a conversation with you after the concert and feel a sense of fullness, as if I went to Tibet or something like that. When I read that the longest living conductors, and I understand why. They’re filled with music, interact with amazing creative “organism” orchestra.

– Oleg, you’re not only a musician but also an organizer of festivals. What is happening in this field?

– I always have a lot of ideas. Another thing is that our country is now in a serious economic situation. I’m 12 years old spent his ethno-festival “Kraina Mriy”, and this is the first year couldn’t do this on their own. Fortunately, helped partners: we have built the stage at another festival – “Atlas Weekend”. In addition, I actively engaged children’s creative subject: I organized a children’s ball, where young members played the instruments and danced to Halloween plan to make a Gothic ball. The children of today, unlike the lost thirty years, which, alas, was brought up on pop trash-channels, very talented. Now there is a growing generation Indigo. So we have a future. And we want to do one more curious program – “Vopl Deplasa” and children”.